Free Section Membership
You may qualify for free membership for the current year in any of the PBA sections of your choice listed below if 1) you are newly admitted to practice (no previous admission in any jurisdiction) and have joined the PBA or 2) you are a current PBA member but have not belonged to the section at any time in the past five years.

If you qualify under either category, you will receive all section-member benefits for the year in which you join the section. The full section membership fee will apply beginning the following year. If you qualify under either category, please complete and submit the form below.

Name:

Address:

Supreme Court ID:

Email:

Administrative Law Section
The Administrative Law Section was established to observe and make recommendations,
primarily at the state level, on the effectiveness of government-issued regulations.

Aeronautical and Space Law Section
Lawyers working for high-tech firms, the aircraft/-space industry or the military are
likely to find this section the most beneficial. Members benefit from CLE programs and
other events. The section places a strong emphasis on aviation law such as airline
regulations and on space-related matters.

Business Law Section
With an emphasis on commercial and corporate law as it is applied in Pennsylvania, this
section focuses on legislation affecting businesses and corporate entities. Members have
been actively pursuing revisions to the corporate law and the uniform commercial law.
"The Corporation Banking & Business Law Newsletter" is published four times
a year and contains articles on corporate law, tax law, banking law and consumer issues.

Civil Litigation Section
As one of the strongest PBA bodies, the Civil Litigation Section offers CLE-based retreats
and meetings for members to maintain their practice standards and for networking with
their peers. Through its quarterly newsletter and bulletins, the section also provides its
members with concise studies and timely information about recent court decisions on a
variety of litigation matters as well as section news.

Criminal Justice Section
The Criminal Justice Section, foremostly, is concerned with protecting the rights of all
individuals who are involved in criminal court proceedings. This is a chance for both
defense- and prosecution- oriented members to be involved in issues such as prison
overcrowding and the length of criminal proceedings in the court, as is currently under
study. Members receive, free, the Criminal Law Section Newsletter which lists and reviews
decisions of recent criminal cases in Pennsylvania. The newsletter is published six times
a year.

Education Law Section
The Education Law Section is a resource for lawyers involved with protecting students,
teachers and administrators. The section concentrates on curriculum requirements and
employment rights. One of the section's goals is to help improve the relationship between
school boards and their employees. Members are kept informed of developments in this area
of practice and section activity through the section's newsletter, published four times a
year.

Elder Law Section
The Elder Law Section shall assist members of the legal community, the elderly population
and those associated with the elderly community by developing educational programs
focusing on advancements in elder law. The committee shall study, review and make
recommendations concerning legislation affecting the elder community.

Environmental and Energy Law Section
Lawyers concerned with such issues as land preservation, sewage disposal (commercial and
individual), and mining and drilling regulations will find this section to be of real
benefit. Given that the section's activities are focused on these concerns, a key function
of the section is to monitor regulations handed down by the Pennsylvania Department of
Environmental Protection. Environmental regulatory decisions are reported through the
section newsletter, released six times a year.

Family Law Section
This section focuses its efforts on domestic issues including marriage, divorce, child
custody and surrogate motherhood. Section members meet twice a year for programs
addressing these and other topics. In addition, these meetings offer members case law
updates at no charge. The updates examine the logic and reasoning of recent related court
decisions. The section newsletter, available to section members at no charge (a $65
value), reviews recent legislation and court decisions related to family law.

Intellectual Property Law Section
The Intellectual Property Law Section is the newest PBA section. It has grown from
committee status and now leads the association's efforts in furthering the development of
the law and procedures related to intellectual property. Also, the section will be working
to obtain uniformity with respect to both legislation and administration in matters
concerning those laws and procedures and to simplify and improve the application of
justice in intellectual property law.

International & Comparative Law Section
This section is particularly suited for lawyers working in multi-national corporations or
who are exposed to legal systems in foreign countries. Members benefit from the section's
work in monitoring treaties, immigration matters and events related to the World Court.

Labor & Employment Law Section
This section deals with all aspects of labor relations, including the relationship between
labor unions and employees. It monitors legislative developments and judicial decisions.
In recent months, the section has actively sponsored a number of CLE programs.

Municipal Law Section
Solicitors for any form of political subdivision other than a school system will find this
section useful. The Municipal Law Section also appeals to lawyers who have as clients
police departments, municipal authorities or individuals who deal with these entities.
Section activities are reported to members in the quarterly newsletter.

Public Utility Law Section
Lawyers representing public utilities will find this section particularly useful. The
section sponsors a series of statewide luncheon programs featuring speakers from
regulatory agencies. Information regarding new regulations and judicial decisions
involving utilities is shared with members through the section newsletter published four
times a year.

Real Property Probate & Trust Law Section
This section concentrates on landlord-tenant relations, environmental issues, eminent
domain and probate matters. Members also are active in improving the relationship between
realtors and lawyers. The section newsletter, published twice a year, reports on section
activities, and members gather at a section meeting once a year to share information,
learn of new developments and network at both professional and social events.

Solo & Small Firm Practice Section
The Solo and Small Firm Section is designed for lawyers whose practices cover a broad
range of issues as individual practitioners. Members can benefit from the flow of
information through its quarterly newsletter about such key matters as law office
management and the latest developments in law office automation and technology. Also, the
section typically has a program for its members at the PBA Annual Meeting and sponsors a
spring section retreat featuring CLE and time for more casual networking.

Tax Law Section
The Tax Law Section specializes in state and local tax issues, but also deals with
problems in the federal tax system. Committees of this section frequently meet with state
officials to discuss proposed legislation, plan educational programs and deal with
practice development issues. The section's newsletter is published twice a year and
contains valuable information on cases and other developments.

Workers' Compensation Law Section
Workers' Compensation Law This section provides its members the opportunity to work
closely with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation on regulations and rules
pertaining to workers' compensation claims. The section has a primary interest in the free
and frequent exchange of information regarding legal developments, and in acting as
liaison with the Bureau of Workers' Compensation to ensure that the interests of
claimants, employers and the lawyer community are protected fairly in the regulatory,
legislative and administrative processes. Meetings and substantive workshops are held at
various times or events throughout the year, including the PBA Annual Meeting. Information
is also shared through the section's bi-monthly newsletter that reports on recent relevant
court cases and presents a range of essays and case analyses.

For security reasons, please enter the following 5 lettersPARKRthen click the submit button.